Pneumatic tire.



Patented Apr. 2, I90l. A. H. BECK, Decd.

K. BECK. Administratnx PNEUMATIC TIRE.

(Application file N 899.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADAM H. BECK, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA; KATE BECK ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID ADAM H. BECK, DECEASED.

PNEU MA'il'l-C TIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,365, dated April 2, 1901.

Application filed November 8, 1899. Serial No. 736,268. (No model.)

5 ed certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Tires; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object is to present a thoroughly-efficient, durable, light, highly-resilient, and at once puncture-proof pneumatic tire.

The invention consists of the novel con- I struction of a bicycle-tire, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Attempts have heretofore been made to render a pneumatic tire puncture-proof by thickening or reinforcing the tread portion, and

2 while such procedure has been effective for the purpose designed, yet it has been accompanied by such loss in the resiliency of the tire as to render it highly objectionable to users and has thus prevented its general adop- The reasons for the loss of resiliency I in a tire thus constructed are two, the first being that generally the tread is formed ofa band of hardened rubber either integral with or secured to the tire or a band of some tough o fibrous substance, such as leather, and as these adj unctive means do not possess a resiliency equal to that of the tire proper. they.

cannot present the requisite yielding qualities to absorbjars and shocks incident to contact of the tire with obstructions when in use.

The second reason is that under pressure the points of greatest yield in the tire are removed from near the tread, Where the largest part of the yield should occur, to a point ado jacent to the rim or felly, where the beneficial effects of the giving action of the tireare largely reduced and where in time rim-cutting, and thus destruction of the tire, will occur. The cause of this latter objectionable feature is due to the fact that the tire adjacent to the tread and thence to the rim is of greater thickness than the remaining portion of the tire, so that it will be obvious that under pressure the tire will yield at the point of least rcsistance-that is, closest to the rim. Under the device of my invention I obviate the objections noted, first, by making the tread of soft rubber, and, second, by incurving the tire adjacent to the tread, so that practically the tire at these points is of substantially the samethickness as the remainder of the tire. Under this latter construction when pressure is applied to the tread the first yield will be adjacent to the tread and thence progressively onward to the rim. As it is inevitable that there will at times be certain attrition between the rim and the tire, and, as stated, this will tend to destroy the tire, I provide the tire on each side, at the points upon which the rim bears, with a reinforcing-strip of rubber, which is so c011- structed and disposed as not to in any way affect the resiliency of the tire.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, I have illustrated two forms of embodiment of my invention, it being understood that other forms of embodiment thereof may be employed without departing from the spirit of the same, and in these drawings.

Figure 1 is a view in transverse section of a preferred form of my tire. Fig. 2 is a similarview of a modified form thereof.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the tire, which may be of the single-tube type or one adapted for the employment of an inner tube, as may be preferred, and B the felly or rim. The tire, as usual, is a multi-ply structurethat is to say, constructed of alternate layers of rubber and canvas vulcanized together.

The tire form shown in Fig. 1 is provided with a fiat tread portion a,of soft rubber and of less width than the tire when in fiated,the sides of the tread portion beingincurved, as shown at aflwhereby to reduce the thickness of the tire at this point and to obviate stiffness, and thus loss of resiliency, the corners of the tread portion being by preference rounded, as shown at a though they may be square or sharp, as preferred. Secured to the inner side of the exterior surface of the tire is areinforcing-strip a, the same being very thin at the point a and gradually thickening outward to points soinewliatremoved from those upon which the edges of the rim will bear in use, then 'semewhat abrupnyrneurvea, *fOifilishing in thickness toward the sides of the tire, whereby to cause the tire between theshoulders and the tread to be substantially of the same thickness, the thickest part of; the strip a by preference being underthe edge of the terminals of the rim where greatest attrition, and thus wear, will occur.

The form of tire shown in Fig. 2 islthesame as that shown in Fig. 1 except that instead of the tread being solid it is providedwith a circumferential groove a", having outwarddiverging walls, in which-is fitted a band a in the nature of a supplemental tread, having inward-converging walls a", the object of they arrangementof the walls of thegroove and of the supplemental tread being to prevent;

entrance of a sharp body, as a tanker the like, into the tire proper, as it will be's'eeni that shouldfsuchfobject "enter the supplemental tread at or "adjacent to the meeting edges of the two walls it will have to pass; through the same "thickness of rubber as it: Wouldif the tread were in ohefpiece. 'The: back 'of'the band a 'is provided with a strip of canvas or other textile fabric 06 to pro-g vent'the bandfrom stretching. Shouldthe band'bec'ome severed, as bypassing over 'a: piece of glass orft he like, jit ma'y at 'a sinallI expenditure'bereplaced, an-dthus present the tire in practically the same shape asit w'as when new. i

what I claim as new, and desire tofsecnrebv Letters Patent of "the United S'tates,"is"

u l. A 'pneumatictire havingatread portionI of soft rubberandxo'f' less'width than th'eti're when inflated, the sides of 'the'tread ailjac'eliit in 'thepresence'df two portion'of the tire uponwhich the rim will bear, and gradually thickeningoutward to points somewhat removed from those upon which theedges of the rim will bear in use,

then somewhat abruptly incurv'ed, forming shoulders, and then gradually diminishing in thickness toward the sides of the tire, therebyto cause the tire, between the shoulders and the tread, to be substantially of the same thickness as the thickestpar-tot'the reinforcing-strip, substantially as and for the purpose described. I

2. A pneumatic tire having a tread portion of soft rubber and of less widthftl1an 'thetire v'v'hen'inflated, the sides of 't'hetread adjacent to *theti're being in( urve'(:l, whereby the tire, atfthe'sepoihts is of substantially the same thickness as the body (portion, 'theltread portion being provided with a circiln'fferent'ial groove having outward divergingiwallsand a su ppleme-iit'al tread or band of soft rubber,

having inward-converging walls "adapted to mental tread or bandhavi'ngattached thereto 'a"st'rip"o'f textile fabric, whereby'toprevent stretching of 'the 'saidbaiid, substantially as 1 H 4 H described. Having thus 'fufllyd'escri'bed my itvenn Witnesses;

111 mm, 'R. ELLIOTT.

fit-within the groove, theb'adk of the snpple- 

